Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-07-03
Speech Of Welcome and Reply-The Prssi'
dents Lsttsr-Shsrman Heard.

At 9 o'clock the meeting was called to
order by John W. Frazier, who said:
LADIES, COMRADES AND FRIENDS
The high honor of calling this meeting to
order has been assigned to me. This is, as
you all know, the first fraternal meeting
of the blue and gray that has taken place
on these historic grounds, and standing
beside the last resting place of the honored
dead, who here gave their last full
measure of their devotion to the Union,
| say TO you that these fraternal meet
ings of blue and gray will do more to
create and maintain a sincere and lasting
fellowship among the people Of the whole
nation than anything else that has taken
place since the war for the preservation of
the Union ended, and l hope to see, as i
believe, that they will be held all along
the line from Gettysburg to Vicksburg.
/ now have the pleasure of presenting
cOmrade W. 5. Stockton rs the presiding
officer of this meeting, with the statement
that to him more than any other, Is due
the credit OF bringing it about
Mr.. Stockton, upon assuming the chair
manship, said that he thanked his COM
rades for the honor conferred upon him.
As presiding officer, it was his pleasant
duty to present Col. Charles II. Banes,
president OF the Philadelphia Brigade AS
sociation, who would extend q soldier $
welcome to foes in war, but warm, devoted
and lasting friends in peace.
THE VETERANS WELCOME
Col. Bane stepped forward and said:
FelOr-citiztas and members Of PicketfS Di-
risioa of the Army OF Northern Iirgiaia:
An honorable and pleasing duty has
been assigned TO Inc by the Philadelphia
Brigade of the Second Division, Second
Corps, of the Army of the Potomac. This
veteran brigade of the Union army, com
posed of the Sixty-ninth, Seventy first,
Seventy and One hundred-and-siXth
regiments of Pennsylvania volunteers,
upon more than one occasion during the
dark hours of the Republic, encountered
your people Ia active warfare, and it fell
to our lot to meet in hostile fray and
deadly conflict in what may truly be
called the crisis of the Battle OF Gettys-
burg, within the sight of the masses Of
both armies, on that memorable after
noon OF July 3, 1863 The old issues
are dead and new ones confront
Us. We, who have fought as
the blue and gray can discern the past, II
need, in the light Of the present As travel
ers who, after perilous journeys and con-
tiicts by the way, sit down on the noun
tain top and review the scenes through
which they have passed and dangers OF the
road over which they have Journeyed, we
welcome you TO this historic field and Its
memories with true soldierly greeting. In
the performance OF this duty We would
fail to honOrably acquit ourselves did we
not announce to you that the spontaneous
movement OF the Philadelphia brigade In
the tender of this reception has cordial
and practical support OF our citizens oil all
classes and pursuits OF life.
And now it remains for me to say to you,
the men of Pickett's Division, by authority
of this brigade assembled and its friends,
that we desire that you will honor Us dur
ing your stay at Gettysburg by becoming
our guests.
SOUTHERN THANKS.
C. F. Reeves, of Richmond, the Com
mander of Pickett's Division Association,
responded as follows:
FRIENDS AND CoMRADEs-l desire for
NV friends and comrades to tender you our
heartfelt thanks for the kind, cordial and
hearty welcome extended to US on this, an
occasion never to be forgotten by us; but
cherished and remembered - q bright spot
in the checkered pathway of life. Ii, IN
the remarks which desire to make, on a
subiect ON which l have thought much
and felt deeply, should be led to say
some things which might be better
left unsald, attribute them To warmth Of
nv feelings on the sub)ectj bear IN mind
that am speaking in no representative
capacity; but am solely responsible for
the sentiments | utter. Perhaps some OF
you have seen an article IN the New YORK
Herald on the subject Of Union monu-
ment TO be erected on that spot selected by
Hancock and Pickett's divisions, which
sbonld he national III its character and
not commemorative of any particular
division ofeither army. but to the memory
M both aymies, q monument Of American
valor and magnanimity; monument
which would stand as q pledge OF per-
nerual union, seeing that we unite in
doing honor to our dead; a pledge
of psrpetual reconciliation. A mizpah
stone. its shaft pointing upward and call
mo upon heaven TO witness our reconcile
alton and renewed covenant that none OF
us would ever pass to harm the otReT, ana
saving in the language OF Scripture, rhe
Lord watch between thou and Us, and what
shall say for those, my comrades, endear-
ed by privations shared, hardships endured,
and dangers encountered; scarcely Is there
a hattie from Bull Run to Appomattox,
which some one dear 10 lss &c rot crown
with their lives their devotion their native
States. Dear comrades, honOred as men,
loved as companions; cold In death, will my
heart be eze cease to love and honor you,
4 UNITED COUNTRY,
vet my heart is large slergh to embrace
nv whole country from the Atlantic 20 the
Pacific, from the Lakes to the Gulf, to re-
ioiee in her prosperity, to glory IN her
greatness, to feel a thrill OF pride when
her course is as glorious as her might IS re-
sistless, wsea her magnaminity equals her
nowsr And to ysu gentlemen OF Gettys-
burg. let me say this is aa espertgnity to
disnlay a magnaminity worthy Oh tlis
grest nation. Leave to time, the touch
Stone which tries all human action, the
1ur-t;cu of right and wrong involved; let
the future hissOsia2, probably yet unborn,
try the cause, and postensy s'H render
verdict which is apt to be Just.
He was followed by Col. Alexander Nj.
NeCiSSe of Philadelphia, and Col: VIM;
r Aylett oi virginia, who also made briei
spseches. Letters OF rssreett were received
from the President and his cabinet, sena-
tor Shsrman, Governor Fitzhugh Lee
Hon, Edwin IL. Filter, Mayor of Philadei-
phia, Gen. Louis Wagner, Hon. Geo. W.
childs, George Wm. Curtis, ehas. =.
Dana, Adjutspt General of Pennsylvania
opd ofhara